Crate.



No. 740,213. PATBNTBD SEPT. 29, 1903.

E. M. AVBRILL.

, CRATE. urLIoATIoN rILnn me. s, 1902.

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s .UNITED STAres .To @ZZ whom Azl may concern.-

Be it known that I, ELIAsM. AVERILL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sparta, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, 5 have invented a new and useful Crate, of

. which the following is a specification.

. This invention relates ,generally to shipping-crates, and particularly to a form of f' crate adapted for use in the transportation or storage of fruits, such as peaches, plums, ap-

f ples, and the like. The object of the .invention is to provide a crate which shall combine simplicity and cheapness of construction with the highest vinayreadily be collapsed or knocked down when desired. v v

' A salient feature of the present invention isthe manner in which the frame-'piecesof fthe structureare associated to cause them inutually to brace each other and to countersuperposed weight or lateral pressure.

With these and other objects in View, as will appear as`tl1e nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction and combination of parts of a crate, as willbe Jiereinafter fully described and clai1ned. v

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts, there is illustrated an embodiment of the invention capable of carrying the same into practical operation, it being understood that the elements therein exhibited may be varied or changed as to shape, proportion, and exact manner of assemblage Without departing from the spirit thereof, and in the drawings-e Figure 1 is a View in perspective of a form of knockdown crate constructed in accordance with the present invention, showing the i" top closed. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing 45 the top open. Fig. 3 is a sectional detail View, on an enlarged scale, showing the manner in which the frame-pieces are held assembled at the corners of the crate. Fig'. 4 is a perspective detailview of a slightly-modified form of 5o assembling device.

Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated a form of knockdown crate, compriseiciency and dnrabilityin use and one which act any tendency of crushing or yielding to atented `eptember 29, 190,'51V

ELIAS M. AvERILL, oF sPAR'rA,Mio'nicnm-v i Y CRATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 740,213, dated September 29, 1903. l l Application led August 8, 1902. Serial No. 118,952.. (No model.) Y Y' I inga top and bottom-frame l-'and *2and'fo`ur i corner-posts-3. .The corner-posts on two sides v of the crate are connected by-horizontally-disposed strips 4f, forming a sheathing and which may be of any desired thickness andsuitably tion, said strips .being in this instance expreferred they maybe securedto the inner A sides and still be within the scope of the invention. The two ends of the crate are formed by vertical strips 5, secured each-to twoof the frame-pieces 6, forming a'sheathing the grain of which extends in 'the saine direction at bothends o f ,the crate, these stripsin'this inf stancejbeing shown as attached to the-inner sides of the frampieces, although, if preferred, they'may be secured to the outer sides thereof. The strips-'5 are shown as being of spaced apart to providefor proper ventilasuchwidth that two of them will presentan v eiicie'nt closure atea'ch end; but it is to be understood that, if preferred, they maybe made of narrow strips, as shown'on'the sides,

without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The top 7 and .bottom` 8 are formed of a strip or strips of ,woodsecured te the framepieces 9, and in this instance to thenner sides thereof, although, if preferred, they may b e secured-to the outer sides, and'which form a -sheathing the grains'of which extend atright angles to that of the sides.

Under the arrangement described it will be seen that the crate is composed of six separate and distinct sections, which when disassociated in a manner that will presently appear may be piled one on top of the other, thus to facilitate reshipment.-

The manner of assembling the frame-pieces of the` ends with the corner-posts consists in rabbeting the outer sides of the end portions of the frame-pieces at 10 and the inner faces of the end portionsjoftthe corner-posts at 11, the depth of one rabbt being equal to onehalf of the diameter of each of the parts.` By this arrangement it will be seen that vertical or lat-eral strain will be removed from the sides andends of the crate, as they will be' taken up by the rabbets, therebyipermitting the-strips constituting the -sides and ends to be made of veryv thin material, andthns at l i l i l once to lighten the structure and reduce its cost ofV production. The manner of assembling the top and bottom of the crate with the terminals of the frame-pieces of the cor- 5 ner-posts consists inproviding the framepieces 9, which are secu red to the top and bottom at each end and on the inner faces, with recesses 12, in which are housed fastening devices 13, which, as shown in Figs. 1 to 3, .1o may be an ordinary nail, these fastening devices being passed through open-ended slots 14 in .thecorner-posts and similar slots 15 in the frame-pieces 9. It is intended that the walls of the recesses 12 and of the slots 14 I5 and 15 shall be so closely juxtaposed that f suicient frictional resistance shall be presented to'the fastening devices to prevent their disconnection in use, the provision of the recesses and of the slots operating to prezove'nt cracking or splitting of the parts with which they coact. To effect a further rigid seating of the fastening devices within the parts with which they coact, itis designed that the nails 16, which hold the top 7 and bottom z5 8 in position, shall be closely disposed with relation to the said devices, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. Instead of employing a nail such as described for4 holding the sections of the crate assembled a piece of spring-wire 17 may 3o be employed, as shown in Fig. 4, which may be stapled at 18 to the frame-pieces 6, the end of the wire being bent to project Within the recess 12 and slots 14 and 15. When it is desired to raise the top 7, or, if the crate should be inverted, the bottom 8, which would then constitute the top, it will only be necessary to remove two of the fastening devices engaging the sameframe-piece 9, those associated with the other frame-piece constitut- 4o ing a hinge to permit the top to be thrown back, as shown in Fig. 2. It will be observed by reference to Fig. 1 that the grain of the strips ofthe sides all extend in one direction, that of the ends at right'angles thereto and that of the top and bottom at right angles to the ends, and by this arrangement the crate will be thoroughly braced and rendered rigid in use.

When the crate is to be knocked down for 5o purposes of reshipment or the like, it will only be necessary to remove the eight fastening devices at the eight corners of the device to effect this result.

In the embodiment of the invention the features of the interlocked or rabbeted ter minals of the frame-pieces and of the cornerposts are of the highest importance, as it is this arrangement that renders the structure rigid and thoroughly eicient in use. 6o Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A crate comprising upper and lower frame-pieces provided with terminal rabbets, corner-posts having terminal rabbets interlocking withthose of the frame-pieces, a top and bottom having frame-pieces disposed between the upper and lower framepieces, and detachable fastening means passing through the rabbets of the corner-posts and upper and 7o lower frame-pieces andinto the top and bottom frame-pieces..

2. A crate comprising upper and lower frame-pieces provided with terminal rabbets having seats, corner-posts having terminal rabbets interlocking with those of the frame" pieces and provided with seats, a top and bottom having frame-pieces disposed between the upper and lower frame-pieces and provided with open-sided recesses, and detach- 8o able fastening means engaging the seats of the rabbets of the corner-posts and upper and lower frame-pieces and the recesses of the top and bottom frame-pieces.

3. A crate comprising upper and lower frame-pieces provided with terminal rabbets having open-ended slots, corner-posts having terminal rabbets interlocking with those of the frame-pieces and provided with open-ended slots, a top and a bottom having frame- 9o pieces disposed between the upper and lower frame-pieces and provided with open-sided recesses, and detachable fastening means passing through the slots of the rabbets of the corner-posts and upper and lower frame-pieces and into the recesses of the top and bottom frame-pieces.

4. A crate comprising upper and lower frame-pieces provided with terminal rabbets and connected by sheathing, the grain of roo which extends in the same direction at both ends of the crate, corner-posts having terminal rabbets interlocking with those of the frame-pieces and connected by sheathing, the grain of which extends at right angles to that of the ends, top and bottom frame-pieces disposed between the upper and lower framepieces and connected by sheathing, the grain of vwhich extends at right angles to that of the Sides, and fastening means passing through Irc the rabbets of the 'corner-posts, upper and lower frame-pieces,and top and bottom framepieces.

. In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

' ELIAS M. AVERILL.

, Witnesses:

A. B. CHENEY, E. A. JOHNSON. 

